Latest news with #DuPageCountyHealthDepartment
Chicago Tribune
7 days ago
- Health
- Chicago Tribune
Naperville News Digest: Naperville Men's Amateur Championship winners announced; DuPage County reports first human case of West Nile virus
The winners of the Naperville Men's Amateur Championship, which featured 174 golfers divided into six flights based on handicaps, have been announced by the Naperville Park District. Held July 19 and 20 at the Springbrook and Naperbrook golf courses, the competition ultimately came down to the final few holes, director of golf Kevin Carlson said in a news release. Aman Shah, a Naperville resident, had the lowest gross score in the championship flight and was named the champion after winning a playoff on the second hole. Shah also won the event in 2023. Matt Arhontas, of Villa Park, the B-Flight winner, sunk a hole-in-one Sunday on hole 13 at Springbrook. The feat earned him a $750 gift certificate for golf merchandise, the release said. Other flight winners included Harland White, of Bolingbrook; Arturo Garza, of Naperville; William Fuggar, of Des Plaines; and Danny Chang, of Naperville. Registration is underway for the next golf tournament, the Springbrook Women's Invitational, which will take place Monday, Aug. 11. For information, go to The first human case of West Nile virus in DuPage County has been reported in Glen Ellyn, according to the DuPage County Health Department. A person in their 50s experienced virus symptoms in mid-July, a news release said. The virus is spread to people through the bite of an infected mosquito. Most people who are infected do not develop symptoms but about 20% will report symptoms such as fever, headache, body aches, joint pains, vomiting, diarrhea or rash, the release said. Less than 1% develop a serious neurologic illness such as encephalitis or meningitis, the health department said. Residents are encouraged to protect themselves from mosquitoes, noting a rise in mosquito batches testing positive for West Nile virus in recent weeks. Naperville Park Board member Chris Jacks is running for a seat on the DuPage County Board, according to the DuPage County Republican Organization. Jacks is seeking a four-year term representing District 5, which includes parts of Naperville, Aurora, Lisle, Woodridge and Warrenville. District 5 has two open seats — one 2-year-term and one 4-year-term — in the 2026 election. In addition to the park board, he is also a member of Naperville's Historic Preservation Commission. A Naperville resident, Jacks is married with two children and holds a master's degree in business administration from Indiana University. He has worked in the information technology industry for 29 years and currently is a program manager, according to his park board biography. Jacks was elected to the park board in 2023; his term expires in 2027. The Naperville Police Department will hold a safety webinar for college-bound students and their parents at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, July 31. Hosted by the department's crime prevention specialists, the program will combine drug and alcohol education with personal safety information, a news release said. Presenters will talk about the temptations and challenges often encountered by new college students to help them understand the potential legal, personal and academic consequences of their decisions, the release said. An emphasis will be placed on utilizing situational awareness and practicing responsible behavior to keep themselves and their property safe. The webinar is free and can be viewed at No registration is needed. It will be posted to the city's website after the event ends.
CBS News
24-07-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Third human case of West Nile virus in Illinois reported in DuPage County
A Third human case of West Nile virus in Illinois has been reported, this time in DuPage County. The DuPage County Health Department confirmed the case on Thursday. The department said the individual is a Glen Ellyn resident in their 50s, and the onset of symptoms was mid-July. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention first confirmed in June that a person downstate, specifically in Southern Illinois, was hospitalized due to complications of the virus. The second was confirmed in Lake County on July 16. The resident was said to be in their 70s and became ill earlier in the month. Symptoms of West Nile virus While most people infected with the virus do not feel sick, about one in five will develop a fever and flu-like symptoms. Other symptoms include body aches, vomiting, diarrhea, or rash. Severe illness can occur in about one in 150 people and is most likely to occur in people over age 55 or with weakened immune systems. How to prevent it West Nile virus is spread to people from infected mosquitoes, most commonly in the summer. Eight out of 10 people infected do not develop symptoms, according to the CDC. Residents are also reminded to practice the three "R's"– reduce the number of mosquitoes and remove containers outside that hold water, repel mosquitoes by using insect repellent, and report areas where water sits for more than a week. There are no medications to treat the virus. The only way to combat the virus is to prevent mosquito bites.
Chicago Tribune
11-04-2025
- Health
- Chicago Tribune
Naperville-area children have high measles vaccination rates but local experts urge immunization for all
Though Naperville-area schools across the board have high measles vaccination rates, local experts still urge the importance of immunization as outbreaks of the highly contagious respiratory disease crop up in other states. 'The more prepared we can be, the less concerned and less severe outcomes we would experience,' said Dr. Rashmi Chugh, medical officer with the DuPage County Health Department. So far this year, the U.S. has had more than double the number of measles cases than it saw in all of 2024, with 712 reported cases as of April 10, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Texas is reporting the majority of those cases, but outbreaks have also been reported in New Mexico, Kansas, Ohio and Oklahoma. Three people with measles in the U.S. have died this year. All three were unvaccinated. Indiana health officials announced a measles outbreak Wednesday, while Michigan had its fourth confirmed case this week, per news reports. Illinois has not had any reported cases of measles yet this year. With measles spreading across the country, the Illinois Department of Public Health has unveiled a new online tool that allows people to look up measles vaccination rates for schools throughout the state, from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. The Measles Outbreak Simulator Dashboard, rolled out Wednesday, also uses school vaccination data from 2023-2024 to predict, project and estimate the size and spread of a measles outbreak at individual schools. Dashboard data reflects high immunization and low risk of outbreak in Naperville-area schools. Between Naperville School District 203 and Indian Prairie School District 204, most vaccination rates range from 96% to 99%. When more than 95% of people in a community are vaccinated, most people are protected from infection through what's called 'herd immunity,' the CDC says. Indian Prairie Health Services Coordinator Linda Herwaldt said in an emailed statement that the district is 'committed to the health and safety of our students.' As of April 9, Indian Prairie had a 98.66% compliance rate for measles immunizations district-wide, she said. 'While recent measles outbreaks in other states have prompted renewed attention nationwide, our district has maintained a proactive approach to immunizations throughout the year,' she said. Still, the district is 'continuing our outreach to families — especially those who are new to the district — to support them in meeting immunization requirements and accessing local health resources,' Herwaldt said. In March, the DuPage County Health Department put out a news release promoting vaccination. According to IDPH data, 96% of DuPage-area school children were vaccinated against measles as of the 2023-24 school year. Over the past 10 years, that number has dipped slightly, down from 97.5% in the 2014-15 school year. 'We can take steps to protect ourselves, our families and those around us by being vaccinated,' Chugh said. The best protection against measles is the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine. The first shot is recommended for children between 12 and 15 months old and the second for those who are 4 and 6 years old. Two doses of the MMR vaccine are about 97% effective, according to the CDC. One dose is about 93% effective. DuPage hasn't had a case of measles since last year, when one county resident tested positive for the illness in April 2024. Before that, measles hadn't been identified in DuPage since 2009, Chugh said. Speaking to activity seen so far this year, she said, 'We are certainly concerned that measles could be in Illinois and DuPage County any day.' Jonathan Pinsky, medical director of infection control and prevention at Edward Hospital in Naperville, tied activity to travel. 'To me, it's travel to areas of the world where there are measles actively in some countries and (it being) brought back to communities that have low vaccination rates,' he said. 'And then it's just the perfect storm for transmission.' Like Chugh, Pinsky urged vaccination. 'Thinking about 97% (protection), what that means is … if there's a measles exposure and 100 unvaccinated people in the same room develop measles, only three people would have developed measles if (the room) were fully vaccinated,' he said. 'And with that being said, even if (someone who was vaccinated) were to get infected, it's likely to be very mild … compared to somebody who is not.' Common symptoms of measles, which generally appear seven to 14 days after coming into contact with the virus, can include high fever, runny nose, cough, sore throat and a rash, according to the CDC. More dangerous are the serious complications that can arise out of measles, including pneumonia and encephalitis (inflammation of the brain). People can check their vaccination status by contacting their health care providers or looking at their medical records. Or they can use the Illinois Department of Public Health's online portal, Vax Verify, to check their immunization status.
